The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-02-24
holy, holy, holy, IS the Lord God Almighty.

ed a rose bush from which roses are
plucked to-day. At the foot of the cross
nearly nineteen centuries ago rose was
planted which blooms to-day; stoop down,
if thou wouldst pluck it. O, for more OF
the child-like spirit! l rejoice in the be-
lief that those who come to Christ to-day,
come aware Of their sins and their wants,
and have learned how to fly low.
Again, these persons who come to-day
are like doves on their way to the dove-cote
because they fly for shelter. The albatross
makes throne of the tempest; the sea
gulls find their grandest frolic in the storm
their merriest hour seems to be that in
which the surf of the sea piles most high.
Not so with doves. At the first blow of
the northeastern they fly to the COOP Eagle
contends with eagle in mid-air, and vulture
fights vulture on the bosom of the carcass,
but doves at the first dash of the bird of
prey speed for shelter from fiery eye and
iron beak and loathsome talon.
So to-day these souls come here for
shelter Every one has a besetting sin /;
that sin is always after you. The robber
watches you when you come out of the
bank; sees in what pocket you put the
money; notices where you go to dine, and
where you sleep, and what kind OF lock
you have on your door; so there is some sin
ever on mans track. It goes with him
to the store; it sits on the money safe; it
looks over his shoulder while he makes out
the bill of lading; it goes out with him to
dine; it walks home with him at night
AS to some dog that you do not want to
follow you but persists, you say to it,:
Shack home with you'll" You stone it
away and start on. After awhile, casually
turning your eye, you find it close after
you with sneaking look
Wherever you go, sin goes; where you
stay, sin stays. You have watched the
hawk above the barnyard; it sails around
and around over the brood of chick
ems = around and around, now al
most down to the flock, then back again,
until at last it drops and seizes the prey.
There is hawk ready to pounce on every
dove, and that is the reason that these
doves come to-day to the windows-they
want shelter in the grace of God and in
Christian associations. They say: If
there be any power in your prayers, let me
have them; it there be any virtue in good
counsels, give them to me; if there be any
thing elevating in Christian associations,
let me feel their influence" aWhere thou
dwellest I will dwell Thy people shall be
my people, thy God my Godp' Open your
doors, oh, Church of Godl and let them
come in ''as doves to their windows
Christ is the only shelter of the soul in
trouble. What can you do without him
when sorrow comess Perhaps at first you
take valerian to quiet your nerves or al
cohol to revive your spirits; but have you
found any thing in the medicines or phys
ical stimulants sufficienta Perhaps in the
excitement OF the money market Or in the
merry-making Of the club you have sought
relief. This world has no balsam for a
wounded soul, no shelter for bruised
spirit.
The dove in the time of the deluge few
north, and it was all water, in which were
tossed the carcasses of the dead world, and
the first solid thing that the doves feet
touched was the window of the ark So
the soul in trouble goes out in one direc-
ton and finds nothing substantial to rest
upon, and in another direction and every
whittier, but there is no rest for the dove
save the ark.
Substantial comfort will not grow
In natures barren soil;
AL we can boast. till Christ we know,
Is vanity and toll.
But where the Lord has planted grace,
And made His glories known,
There fruits OF Heavenly joys are found,
And there alone"
You lost parent; some one said that it
was in the regular course of nature that
your father should expire. Did that COM
Tort yous You lost a child; somebody said
il that child had lived it might have turned
out badly. Did that comfort youa You
lost your property; they told you that
riches We're very uncertain. You knew
that before. You were sick; they ex-
planned to you that the difficulty was in the
secretions or in the sciatlc nerve. Did
that soothe yous o, the despicable quack-
cry of earthly comfort!
But when Christ comes to the soul and
says: Il took your estate because wanted
to give you more valuable treasures; made
you sick in body that your soul might be
brought up to eternal health; l took your
loved ones away because have better
and brighter place for them in Ny own
the wound heals; then
the tears dry off the face; then God has
become the everlasting portion of the soul.
Oh, the air is full of black wings and
ravens beaks. They join their wings of
darkness until they shut out the light of
the sun. They have fattened on the car
casses OF men. Their clangor is horrible
to the ear-trouble and disease and death
coming down on the wind No wonder
these souls have come for shelter .sas
doves to their Windows What does the
pigeon in the coop care for the hawk in the
SKYE Safe in Christ, safe forever. The
may depart, and the hills be re-
moved, but Thy loving kindness shall never
fail.
Again, these souls. like doves, fly home.
Most OF the winged denizens have no home:
now they are at the north and now at the
south, as the climate indicates This year
q nest in one tree next year nest in an
other tree. The golden oriole remains but
three months Of the year in Germany, and
is then gone; the linnet of Norway crosses
the ocean to find rest from the winters
blast; the heron, the goldfinch and the
grossbeak are migratory; the cranes cali
each other together few days before GO
ing, choose their leader, arrange them ]
selves in two lines, forming an angle, and
are gone.
But the pigeons alluded to in the text.
summer and winter and always, have o
home in the dove-cote. And so Christ is the
home OF those who come to Him. He is
warm home; they rest under the feathers
of the Almighty" Christ tells us that
chickens find not warmer place under the
wing OF the hen than we in Him. He is a
,afe home; our fortunes may go down ten